


we should just kiss like real people do

by brigsbeebear



Category: Twin Peaks
Genre: But only a little, Character Study, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, One-Shot, Picnics, Repression, i guess, set somewhere in season 2, title is from a hozier song lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-26 21:46:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18725608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brigsbeebear/pseuds/brigsbeebear
Summary: Harry overhears Dale talking to Diane about him.





	we should just kiss like real people do

Harry walked into the station that morning in a lousy mood. Just one of those mornings. He smiled at Lucy as he walked by her desk, and she smiled back.

“Are you alright, Sheriff?” She cocked her head slightly, her earrings swinging back and forth.

Lucy had always been good at that; at knowing when something was wrong. People didn’t give her enough credit, she was extremely observant and intuitive when she wanted to be.

“Yeah, Lucy. Don’t worry about me.” He smiled again, trying a little harder to be convincing. She frowned, but dropped the subject. Harry nodded and whispered soft “good morning”s to everyone at the station, stopping to speak with Hawk and Andy on the way. He made it to his office without seeing Cooper, but he heard his voice floating out through the conference room’s open door.

“Good morning, Diane. It is... 8:45 AM. I believe it’s going to be a beautiful day. The sun was starting to come out this morning on my drive over, hopefully it will stay. Perhaps I could go on a picnic. After more work on the Palmer case, of course. Maybe Sheriff Truman--Harry--would like to join me.” Harry felt his heart speed up at that, and blush crept up his neck.

“Also, Diane,” Cooper continued, “I know you have probably tired of hearing me talk about the food here, but the breakfast I had, you would not believe…” His voice faded as Harry entered his office and closed the door.

He was used to Cooper’s peculiarities. It didn’t take him long to grow accustomed to everything that is Dale Cooper: the endless talking into the tape recorder, the persistent cheeriness, the physical contact, the close proximity, all of it. It was almost as if some deep part of himself was waiting for Cooper; ready with open arms when he arrived despite Harry not knowing who he was. He couldn’t picture work at the station without Cooper’s voice in the background. He wasn’t a very spiritual man, but he believed his soul knew Cooper, atoms that had been together when the universe exploded into existence, reunited once again. Cooper wasn’t a part of him, but something that made him better, like two puzzle pieces slotting together to create a picture. They made a good team, Cooper and Harry.

“Harry?”

Harry’s thoughts dissipated as he remembered where he was, and blinked quickly as he realized Cooper had entered his office and he hadn’t even noticed. Harry coughed.

“Oh--um, sorry, Coop. I didn’t notice you come in.” Harry was blushing--again.

“It’s alright, Harry.” Cooper sat down in one of the chairs in front of Harry’s desk. “I believe getting lost in thought is a good thing. It can help you see things you previously didn’t.” He smiled brightly, like he couldn’t imagine a better place to be than Harry’s messy, slightly musty office in that tiny Washington town. Their eyes met, and Cooper smiled wider. After about 5 seconds, Harry tore his eyes away and stared at the paperwork on his desk, unable to handle the intensity in Cooper’s face. He coughed again.

“Any reason as to why you came in here, or am I just that fun to be around?” Harry laughed quietly, forcing himself to look at Cooper again. Cooper’s smile faded, and it was his turn to avoid eye contact.

“Well, I think the weather today might be nice, and I was wondering if you would join me on a picnic for lunch, if time allows? I trust that you would know all of the good places for one. And Harry, you’re right--you are fun to be around. It would make my day if you joined me.” Cooper looked back up at Harry, hiding slightly behind his long eyelashes. “Not to pressure you, I completely understand if you are too busy, or don’t want to accompany me. I would be more disappointed by the latter, I’ll admit, but I would respect your decision, and--”

“Coop. Of course I wanna go.” Harry cut off his nervous babbling, despite thinking it was strangely endearing and extremely cute. 

He looked at his hands and mentally reprimanded himself-- _Coop is not endearing, or cute. At least, not to me. He’s not… like that. You can’t feel that way about him. Reel yourself in, Truman. ___

____

____

“Harry, you’re alright.” Harry looked up just in time to see a pink-cheeked Cooper wink at him.

“Ah, think nothing of it. I’m always happy to spend time with you.” Harry cringed as soon as the words left his mouth. _Holy shit, Harry Truman, if you don’t shut the hell up… ___

____

____

He braced himself for the weird look from Cooper that he got from men before: the surprise, then the realization, then the disgust, passing quick over his face like a slideshow. He didn’t think Cooper would hate him he if he knew he was gay, but it’s always different when it’s someone you know. It had happened in high school and then in his late twenties. Surprise, realization, disgust. Both men had been his friend until he crossed that line, read the wrong signal, and was left with the shards of judgment and rejection digging into his heart.

“The feeling is mutual, Harry. I’ll come back around noon, and then we can head out, yeah?” Before Harry could open his mouth to answer, Cooper disappeared around the corner outside of Harry’s office.

_The feeling is mutual, Harry. ___

____

____

Harry felt a tingling sensation in his fingers, and he was becoming extremely lightheaded. He sat down to work after regaining his composure, and filled out paperwork for a solid hour before feeling the familiar itch for some coffee (and maybe a donut). The station was quiet today, and it made Harry feel serene. He loved his work, and the people around him, but he was an introverted person who worked better in isolation. He was about to enter the conference room to get a donut when he heard his name.

“...and Harry said yes, Diane! I asked him approximately an hour ago, and I am just now informing you because I was genuinely speechless for a great deal of time following the encounter. It took me enormous courage to ask him, but he said yes! You were right! I was just so intimidated… he’s so smart, and handsome, and strong and tall. He could probably carry me with ease. That was a strange thought. I apologize, I am just thinking out loud. It seems I forget how to speak when discussing him, or speaking with him. He has a wonderful but perplexing effect on me…” Cooper trailed off, and Harry stood frozen outside of the room, ashamed of eavesdropping but unable to stop himself from listening in. Coop thought he was handsome? And strong? Hope flickered in Harry’s chest for the first time in a long, long time. It felt like a real flame, warming him up from the inside out. Oddly, _fire… walk with me echoed in his ears. ___

____

____

The silence stretched on for what seemed like hours until Cooper sighed. “...Oh, Diane, I believe I am in quite over my head. I am almost positive that I have fallen in love with Sheriff Harry Truman.” Harry promptly spun around on his feet, practically running back to his office. 

As soon as he collapsed in his office chair, he knew he would not get any more work done. Coop had been… wanting to pursue him all along? He put his head in his hands. A part of him wanted to jump for joy. Run into the conference room and kiss Coop relentlessly. Another (bigger) part of him still refused to believe it, insisting it had to be a cruel joke or something similar. His brain’s way of self preservation was insisting no one liked him so he could never be disappointed. Any affection was better than what he expected. These two halves were battling aggressively. The first part of him was winning. The hopeful part.

Harry sat in his office, weighing the pros and cons, and suddenly it was 12:00 PM. Despite Cooper saying “around twelve,” his signature knock rapped against the office door as soon as the clock progressed to the new hour, as if he was waiting outside of Harry’s door for time to pass. 

“Come on in, Coop.” Cooper opened the door and stepped inside, smiling as big as ever.

“Harry, how did you know it was me?” Cooper sat down on the edge of Harry’s desk. Despite the desk in between them, it felt extremely close, at least to Harry. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, staring at his shoes. 

“Um, that thing you do when you knock. You do it three times, really quickly, no matter what. I noticed it the first couple days you were here.” 

Cooper’s face changed for a second before he could regain composure, but Harry wasn’t sure what it meant. He had looked vulnerable. Soft. 

“Interesting. I suppose I do.” The familiar silence fell over them again. It was a heavy silence, like they both wanted the other to speak, but they, respectively, didn’t know what to say. The silence was full of expectation, the air crackled with it.

“So, do you want to head on out?” Harry stood up and grabbed his jacket off of the coat rack, circling around Cooper’s side of the desk and sitting next to him on the worn wood. 

“Absolutely! If you would like, we could stop at the R&R diner for the food. Get it to-go, I mean.” Cooper’s left hand and Harry’s right were touching along their pinkies.

“Sounds like a plan. Do you want to take separate cars, have me drive or…?” 

“Of course not,” Cooper stood up. “We can take my car, and I’d be happy to drive, Harry.”

They walked side by side out of the building, even when their shoulders brushed slightly against the walls on either side of them. Hawk winked at Harry and mouthed “good luck,” making Harry’s ears turn red. Cooper, oblivious, opened the passenger door for him, and Harry tried not to think about that too much. 

Despite being a rental, it was obvious the car was Cooper’s. It was sleek and black on the outside, and spotless. The inside was cozy (also spotless), and Harry felt himself sink into the passenger seat. Cooper started the engine, and a talk show host squawked through the speakers. Cooper and Harry reached to change the station at the same time, Cooper’s hand heavy on top of Harry’s. They both froze, and looked up to meet each other’s eyes. Their faces were inches from each other, and both of their hands were still on the dial. 

Harry ripped his hand away as if the car had bit him. He laughed and uttered a “sorry” as he scooted closer to the window, away from Cooper. He pretended the truck next to Cooper’s car was fascinating.

“You can pick the music, if you want.” Cooper spoke softly, as if he was afraid of doing something wrong. Harry’s chest tightened at that.

Harry forced himself to look at Cooper, but he was staring at his hands on the steering wheel.

“Okay, thanks, Coop.” He reached for the dial again and fiddled with it.

“Dale.” Harry’s hand stilled.

“What?”

“Harry, you can call me Dale. It is my name, and I’d like to think we’re past the formality of last names.” Harry resumed his station-search, and landed on a mellow one from Seattle before he spoke. Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega filtered through the speakers at low volume.

“Okay. So, Dale, are we going on this picnic, or what?” Dale smiled at him, and peeled out of his parking spot. The drive to the diner was quiet. As Harry tried to pay for his half of the meal, Dale reached over and grabbed his hand. Harry began to protest before he interrupted.

“Harry, please. I insist. It’s my treat.” Harry knew it was useless to argue, and he couldn’t concentrate with Dale holding his hand like that. 

“Okay, C--Dale. Your treat.” Harry laughed slightly, and his hand felt cold from the absence of Dale’s. They thanked Shelly as they left the building, and Dale practically tripped over himself to get the passenger door open for Harry. The car felt like the warm little center of the universe, made just for them. Dreams by The Cranberries played softly as they left the R&R parking lot.

“I’m counting on you for directions, Harry. Let me know where and when I need to turn.”

“You got it, Dale. Where do you wanna go?”

“I’m not sure. However, I trust you’ll pick an exceptional place. I feel I must add that I’ll enjoy myself no matter what, as long as you accompany me.”

The blush rushed back into Harry’s face almost instantly. 

“Uh, thanks, Dale. Me too.” He smiled the first genuine smile he could remember, and Dale’s face mimicked his.

“Okay, I think I have a place. Drive as if you’re heading back to the station. I’ll let you know when the directions change.”

The ride was comfortably silent, save for Harry’s occasional directions and the music. Dale hummed along to it softly, his hands never leaving the top of the steering wheel. 

After about twenty-five minutes, they were on a beaten dirt path covered with pine needles. They kept on this road for ten minutes, then Harry coughed. 

“Pull over here. We have to walk the rest of the way.”

“Harry, I was not aware you were taking me on a hike. I am not in the proper attire.” He gestured toward his torso with one hand, turning slightly toward Harry.

“Okay, calm down.” Harry laughed, the sudden noise sounding loud now that they were in an almost silent place. “It’s right up that path, Coop--sorry, Dale. Old habits die hard, I guess.” 

“It’s alright, Harry, as long as you’re not lying about the whole hiking situation.” Dale opened the door and stepped out into the fresh air, gazing up through the canopy of trees. Harry followed suit.

“Oh, yeah? And what’re you gonna do to me if I’m lying, Mr. Special Agent?” Harry challenged, suddenly feeling confident. It was easier to be like that here, with no one around. A look of surprise flickered over Dale’s face before his eyes lit up, dimples showing on his cheeks as he laughed.

“Don’t underestimate me, Mr. Sheriff.” Dale popped the trunk, grabbing the food and attempting to reach for the picnic blanket. Harry rushed to his side, invading his space. Dale didn’t even flinch, standing up straight again, eye-to-eye with Harry. It occured to Harry that they were close--inches apart, and he could kiss Dale if he gathered enough courage to. He could tell Dale knew it, too.

“Let me grab the blanket.”

“Okay.” 

Neither man moved. Harry could smell Dale--coffee, aftershave, and something else he couldn’t place but was unmistakably Dale. 

“Harry.”

“Yeah?”

Dale looked away, towards the ground, shoving the blanket into Harry’s arms. Harry cleared his throat.

“Um, follow me.”

“I always am.”

Harry felt as if someone punched him in the stomach.

They walked up a slight incline on a path with wildflowers growing on each side next to the roots of douglas furs. They reached a break in the trees leading to a clearing.

“We’re here,” Harry announced continuing to walk, but Dale was standing still and taking in what was in front of him.

The clearing was on top of a hill (or maybe a mountain? Harry still didn’t know, despite coming up here since he was a little kid), overlooking all of Twin Peaks and the land and towns beyond it. It was a meadow of sorts, with tall grass and some flowers here and there. The trees framed the view, making the whole thing look like a painting. Harry walked to the middle of it, spread out the blanket, and plopped down on it. He noticed Dale’s absence, and turned towards where the trees closed in again. Dale was still standing there, holding the cardboard takeout boxes, mouth slightly agape.

“Harry, this is beautiful. Thank you so much for taking me here.” He finally started walking toward the other man, but was still looking all around with wonder, much like a child. He finally arrived at Harry’s designated spot, and sat down. He started to unpack the food, and Harry spoke up.

“It’s no problem, Dale. I found this place when I was a kid. I wasn’t… I didn’t have a lot of friends. Just didn’t fit in, I guess. I would come up here to get away from bullies, do homework, just relax. It was like my special place, y’know? Like, God made this little corner of the world just for me. I actually called it the Garden of Eden in my head.” Harry ended the last sentence with a laugh. Dale looked softly at Harry, and then his eyebrows furrowed. 

“Wait, have you ever shown this place to anyone?” Harry laid down and looked at the sky instead of Dale’s face, feigning nonchalance.

“No. No one ever felt special enough.” _Except you _caught in Harry’s throat. It seemed like Dale still heard it, though. After a couple moments, Harry turned his head, scared he had said something wrong and scared Dale away.__

____

____

And Dale was right there. In the short span since Harry had finished speaking, Dale had gotten as close to him as he could without touching him. Harry laughed nervously, no sound escaping his mouth.

“Coop?” He searched Dale’s face for answers. Dale closed his eyes slowly, as if he was drifting off to sleep. The words tumbled out of Harry’s mouth before he could hold them back.

“I heard you--this morning. Talking to Diane… about me. I didn’t know. I didn’t even know that you...that you’re like that. I’m sorry, for not seeing it earlier. And for being to scared to ask. I’m always scared. Not that you’re scary, that’s just how I am, and--”

“Harry,” Dale whispered, eyes still closed, as if he was afraid to look at the other man. Harry realized he had closed his eyes too, scrunched together like a kid who’s trying to block out something that frightens them. “May I--Can I kiss you?” Dale’s brows furrowed slightly, eyes still closed, as if he was bracing himself for an impact to come. Without waiting for a response, Dale moved forward slowly, and pressed his lips to Harry’s. It was a closed-mouth kiss, and quick. Dale pulled back, eyes wide.

“Oh, Harry, I’m sorry. I--”

He was cut off as Harry surged toward him, wrapping his arms around him. 

This kiss was different. It was an expression of everything pent up over their short time together. It was loud, it was loving, it was open-mouthed and wanting. It was a soda bottle exploding after you shake it up. Harry realized all of his senses were heightened because of Dale: he smelled the wildflowers, the pines, the new-car smell stuck to the picnic blanket from being in the trunk, _Dale _, his hand in Dale’s slick hair, grass rubbing against his temple because the blanket was too small for his head to fit, _Dale _, the rustling of their clothes against one another, _Dale _, the warmth of the sun on his body, _Dale Dale Dale._______

_____ _

_____ _

Dale pulled away, and they stared at each other for a long time. It was the first time they let themselves look at each other--really look, without being embarrassed or ashamed. Dale’s lips were a brighter red ( _I did that _Harry thought excitedly), his hair sticking up at weird angles.__

____

____

Dale suddenly sat up. As Harry started to panic, sitting up haphazardly, the other man fished around in his pocket for a few moments before pulling out his tape recorder. Dale pressed the record button.

“Diane, you are not going to believe what just transpired.” 

Before Dale could continue, Harry started giggling, small first, but growing steadily. Dale frowned.

“Harry…?” 

Harry reached a hand out to touch Dale’s chest, body shaking from the laughter. 

“You’re just,” Harry started laughing again, cracking the sentence in two. “You’re just cute.” He finished before collapsing on the blanket in a fresh fit of giggles. Dale laid back down, leaning his head on Harry’s shoulder. Soon, he joined in on the laughter. They curled into each other, grasping their stomachs. 

Harry thought the day turned out surprisingly well.

**Author's Note:**

> hi!! first fic in the twin peaks fandom, and harry and dale are just so repressed and in love that i had to write something lmao. feedback is greatly appreciated!! visit me on [tumblr](https://eraserheadbabies.tumblr.com) or on [twitter](https://twitter.com/gayhorrorfilm)


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